Vending machine

Abstract

A vending machine is provided with a cabinet having a plurality of slanted shelves. These shelves will feed to an elevator which can be located in the center of the vending machine, to one side of the vending machine or at the rear of the vending machine. Packaged beverages will feed by gravity from the shelves to the elevator and then be delivered to the delivery port in the face of the cabinet. This delivery port will be at a convenient height for the consumer. The shelves in the cabinet are readily reconfigurable such that their positioning within the cabinet can be easily altered. Gravity release devices are provided on each shelf for discharging the packaged beverages to the elevator. These gravity release devices are powered by an activation device on the elevator. Thus, electrical connections or the like are unnecessary for the individual shelves.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vending machine comprising: a cabinet for storing a supply of packaged beverages, said cabinet having a front face with a delivery port therein through which the packaged beverages are vended;   a plurality of vertically spaced shelves within the cabinet for holding the packaged beverages, the shelves being readily removable such that a configuration of the shelves within the cabinet can be altered, all of the shelves within the cabinet sloping downwardly, the surfaces of each of the shelves on which the packaged beverages rest being stationary, the shelves each being divisible into a plurality of regions for supporting packaged beverages in spaced columns such that each shelf can hold a plurality of rows and columns of packaged beverages;   elevator means for receiving individual packaged beverages from the shelves and for vertically transporting the packaged beverages to the delivery port; and   gravity release means for discharging the packaged beverages to the elevator means such that the packaged beverages move only under influence of gravity from the stationary surfaces of the shelves to the elevator means.   
     
     
       2. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the elevator means includes a packaged beverage supporting assembly movable along an elevator path centrally located within the cabinet, the delivery port being centrally located on the front face of the cabinet relative to sides of the cabinet, and the shelves being in a chevron and sloping downwardly toward the elevator path. 
     
     
       3. The vending machine according to claim 2, further comprising activation means for actuating the gravity release means, the gravity release means being located on each shelf and the activation means being located on the packaged beverage supporting assembly, the supporting assembly being vertically movable along the elevator path and a selected gravity release means being actuated when the supporting assembly is at a same height as the selected gravity release means. 
     
     
       4. The vending machine according to claim 3, wherein gravity release means are provided for each region for a column of beverages on each of the shelves. 
     
     
       5. The vending machine according to claim 4, wherein certain packaged beverages bridge regions for columns in order to be in more that one region when on a shelf, the activation means actuating all of the gravity release means for the regions in which the certain packaged beverages are located when a certain packaged beverage is to be discharged. 
     
     
       6. The vending machine according to claim 3, wherein three regions for three potential columns of packaged beverages are provided for each shelf and wherein three gravity release means are provided for each shelf. 
     
     
       7. The vending machine according to claim 3, wherein the activation means comprises a solenoid for each gravity release means, the solenoids being on each side of the packaged beverage supporting assembly. 
     
     
       8. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the elevator means includes a packaged beverage supporting assembly movable along an elevator path located on one side of the cabinet, the delivery port being located on a side of the front face of the cabinet, and all of the shelves sloping downwardly toward the elevator path. 
     
     
       9. The vending machine according to claim 8, further comprising activation means for actuating the gravity release means, the gravity release means being located on each shelf and the activation means being located on the packaged beverage supporting assembly, the packaged beverage supporting assembly being vertically movable along the elevator path and a selected gravity release means being actuated when the supporting assembly is at a same height as the selected gravity release means. 
     
     
       10. The vending machine according to claim 9, wherein gravity release means are provided for each region for a column of beverages on each of the shelves. 
     
     
       11. The vending machine according to claim 10, wherein certain packaged beverages bridge regions for columns to be in more that one region when on a shelf, the activation means actuating all of the gravity release means for the regions in which the certain packaged beverages are located when a certain packaged beverage is to be discharged. 
     
     
       12. The vending machine according to claim 9, wherein three regions for three potential columns of packaged beverages are provided for each shelf and wherein three gravity release means are provided for each shelf. 
     
     
       13. The vending machine according to claim 9, wherein the activation means comprises a solenoid for each gravity release means, the solenoids being on only one side of the packaged beverage supporting assembly. 
     
     
       14. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the cabinet has a front and a rear and wherein the elevator means includes a packaged beverage supporting assembly movable along an elevator path located at the rear of the cabinet, the delivery port being located on the front of the cabinet, and all of the shelves sloping rearwardly and downwardly toward the elevator path. 
     
     
       15. The vending machine according to claim 14, further comprising means for moving packaged beverages from the packaged beverage supporting assembly to the delivery port. 
     
     
       16. The vending machine according to claim 14, further comprising activation means for actuating the gravity release means, the gravity release means being located on each shelf and the activation means being located on the packaged beverage supporting assembly, the supporting assembly being vertically movable along the elevator path and a selected gravity release means being actuated when the supporting assembly is at a same height as the selected gravity release means. 
     
     
       17. The vending machine according to claim 16 wherein gravity release means are provided for each region for a column of beverages on each of the shelves. 
     
     
       18. The vending machine according to claim 17, wherein certain packaged beverages bridge regions to be in more that one regions when on a shelf, the activation means actuating all of the gravity release means for the regions in which the certain packaged beverages are located when a certain packaged beverage is to be discharged. 
     
     
       19. The vending machine according to claim 16, wherein the activation means comprises a solenoid for each gravity release means, the solenoids being on each side of the packaged beverage supporting assembly. 
     
     
       20. A vending machine comprising: a cabinet for storing a supply of packaged beverages, said cabinet having a front and a rear with the front of the cabinet having a front face with a delivery port therein through which the packaged beverages are vended;   a plurality of vertically spaced shelves within the cabinet for holding the packaged beverages, all of the shelves within the cabinet sloping downwardly away from the front face of the cabinet;   elevator means for receiving individual packaged beverages from the shelves and for vertically transporting the packaged beverages, the elevator means being in the rear of the cabinet.   
     
     
       21. The vending machine according to claim 20, further comprising gravity release means for discharging the packaged beverages to the elevator means such that the packaged beverages move under influence of gravity from the shelves to the elevator means. 
     
     
       22. The vending machine according to claim 20, wherein the surfaces of each of the shelves on which the packaged beverages rest is stationary. 
     
     
       23. The vending machine according to claim 20, wherein the elevator means includes a packaged beverage supporting assembly movable along an elevator path located at the rear of the cabinet, the delivery port being located on the front of the cabinet, and all of the shelves sloping rearwardly and downwardly toward the elevator path. 
     
     
       24. The vending machine according to claim 23, further comprising means for moving packaged beverages from the packaged beverage supporting assembly to the delivery port. 
     
     
       25. The vending machine according to claim 23, further comprising: gravity release means for discharging the packaged beverages to the elevator means such that the packaged beverages move under influence of gravity from the shelves to the elevator means; and   activation means for actuating the gravity release means, the gravity release means being located on each shelf and the activation means being located on the packaged beverage supporting assembly, the supporting assembly being vertically movable along the elevator path and a selected gravity release means being actuated when the supporting assembly is at a same height as the selected gravity release means.   
     
     
       26. The vending machine according to claim 25, wherein each shelf has a predetermined depth divisible into a plurality of regions for supporting packaged beverages in spaced columns thereon, gravity release means being provided for each region for a column of beverages on each of the shelves. 
     
     
       27. The vending machine according to claim 26, wherein certain packaged beverages bridge regions to be in more that one regions when on a shelf, the activation means actuating all of the gravity release means for the regions in which the certain packaged beverages are located when a certain packaged beverage is to be discharged. 
     
     
       28. The vending machine according to claim 25, wherein the activation means comprises a solenoid for each gravity release means, the solenoids being on each side of the packaged beverage supporting assembly. 
     
     
       29. A vending machine comprising: a cabinet for storing a supply of packaged beverages, said cabinet having a front face with a delivery port therein through which the packaged beverages are vended;   a plurality of vertically spaced shelves within the cabinet for holding the packaged beverages, all of the shelves within the cabinet sloping downwardly in a chevron, the surfaces of each of the shelves on which the packaged beverages rest being stationary;   an elevator, packaged beverages being deliverable from the shelves to the elevator and the elevator then vertically transports the packaged beverages to the delivery port; and   a gravity release device, the packaged beverages being discharged to the elevator by the gravity release device such that the packaged beverages move under influence of gravity from the stationary surfaces of the shelves to the elevator.   
     
     
       30. The vending machine according to claim 29, wherein the elevator includes a packaged beverage supporting assembly which receives individual packaged beverages whereafter the elevator sequentially transport individual packaged beverages. 
     
     
       31. The vending machine according to claim 29, wherein the delivery port is located above at least one pair of the shelves in the cabinet and wherein the elevator lifts packaged beverages from shelves beneath the delivery port to the delivery port. 
     
     
       32. The vending machine according to claim 29, wherein the shelves are readily reconfigurable such that a configuration of the shelves within the cabinet can readily be altered. 
     
     
       33. The vending machine according to claim 29, wherein the elevator includes a packaged beverage supporting assembly movable along an elevator path centrally located within the cabinet, the delivery port being centrally located on the front face of the cabinet relative to sides of the cabinet, and the shelves sloping downwardly toward the elevator path. 
     
     
       34. The vending machine according to claim 33, further comprising activation means for actuating the gravity release device, the gravity release device being located on each shelf and the activation means being located on the packaged beverage supporting assembly, the supporting assembly being vertically movable along the elevator path and a selected gravity release device being actuated when the supporting assembly is at a same height as the selected gravity release device. 
     
     
       35. The vending machine according to claim 34, wherein each shelf has a predetermined depth divisible into a plurality of regions for supporting packaged beverages in spaced columns thereon, a gravity release device being provided for each region for a column of beverages on each of the shelves. 
     
     
       36. The vending machine according to claim 35, wherein certain packaged beverages bridge regions for columns in order to be in more that one region when on a shelf, the activation means actuating all of the gravity release devices for the regions in which the certain packaged beverages are located when a certain packaged beverage is to be discharged. 
     
     
       37. The vending machine according to claim 34, wherein three regions for three potential columns of packaged beverages are provided for each shelf and wherein three gravity release devices are provided for each shelf. 
     
     
       38. The vending machine according to claim 34, wherein the activation means comprises a solenoid for each gravity release devices, the solenoids being on each side of the packaged beverage supporting assembly.